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Do cats fart? You’re not the first cat parent who has wondered. And if cats do fart, are cat farts normal and why do cats fart? You’re in luck — today we’ll be clearing the air on the subject of feline flatulence.

Do cats fart? And if they do, are cat farts something to worry about? Photography by ivanolianto/Thinkstock.

Do cats fart? If so, why do cats fart?

Before you become worried, know this: most cat farts are normal, and almost all of them are odorless. Some common causes of kitty toots are:

When should you worry about cat farts?

Although most cat farts are benign, some red flags should alert you to consult with your cat’s veterinarian. When cat farts are accompanied by these symptoms, they could indicate more serious health issues:

What health problems are associated with cat farts?

During a veterinary consultation, the health professionals will ask you about your cat’s diet and eating habits, conduct a thorough physical examination and possibly order blood work or abdominal x-rays. Although these exams and tests may sound scary, they’re critical in diagnosing these health problems that go beyond the simple “cutting the cheese:”

Inflammatory bowel disease

Malabsorption

Intestinal virus

Worms or other parasites

Pancreatic issues

Gastrointestinal cancer

Intestinal obstruction

Here’s how to prevent cat farts:

You can definitely take steps to avoid excessive feline flatulence and serious health concerns. You know the old saying: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of vet visits to correct smelly cat farts” — or something like that.

If your cat eats a high-fiber diet, gradually make the change to a low-fiber, more easily digestible food. It may be a good idea to talk with your vet so the transition is a smooth one.

Feed your cat smaller, more frequent meals. This could keep kitty from voraciously wolfing down his food (and your other cats’ meals, too).

Speaking of eating other cats’ food — if one chowhound of a cat circles the other kitties’ dishes like a shark, feed each cat in a separate area so the temptation is out of sight.

Make sure your kitchen trash bins have tight-fitting lids to restrict your cat’s access to garbage or old food that could be spoiled.

Give your cat plenty of opportunities for exercise to keep “things moving.” Having multiple cats increases the likelihood of active play, but it’s also important to engage your cat with fun toys like feathered wands.

So, although it’s perfectly healthy for cats to pass gas, it’s essential to pay attention to cat farts that are excessive or happen with accompanying symptoms. Now you can go back to blaming the dog for those stinky toots!

4 comments on “Do Cats Fart? What to Know About Cat Farts”

I have fostered many kittens and for some of them the cheaper Friskies canned food can give them frequent and nasty smelling gas. NOT nice at all when you are trying to cuddle with them and socialize them. I found that going to the kitten Fancy Feast fixed the problem and the extra cost was definitely worth it!
Btw we don’t hear cat fats because they don’t have butt checks the way humans do that cause the sound when the gas emerges — same with dogs.

I’ve had many cats over my life but only a few ever farted and it was rare. My current cat has never farted (and she spends a lot of time on my lap for me to take note) and I’ve had her for 6 years now. Unusual for a cat, even her poop has very little odour! She doesn’t cough up hairballs either. She was feral before I rescued her which makes me wonder if her gut bacteria might just be the way a normal cat’s should be from catching small prey. I consider myself blessed to have her.

Yes, all my cats fart. Maybe it’s just my sensitive nose, but cat farts are not “odorless”, as you say. While most cat farts are low-odor, they do smell. And the smell is not pleasant. One of my cats has a signature “burnt turd” smell to her farts. The other five fart differently every time. I once had a cat whose farts smelled like a dang poop farm, yet there was nothing (physically) wrong with her. (Mentally, that’s another story, one unrelated to farts.) I also had a cat that, overall, smelled like a dentist – even her farts smelled dentist-y. Although her pee and poop, for some reason, did not match that signature dentist smell. But that’s another story, isn’t it? Basically, I’ve had cats as pets since I was in 1st grade, and I can confirm that cats fart.